[Clough]

Hi, All!

I'm wondering if it's okay to store unfinished cans of food in the refrigerator in their original cans.

I've heard that it wasn't okay, and that some sort of chemical reaction happens between the sides of the can and the food to make the food unsafe, once the contents has been exposed to air. Is that true?

I'm asking about things like soups that have already been cooked prior to being sold as well as vegetables.

I'm also talking about leaving them in the refrigerator for no more than two or three days, wrapped in some sort of plastic wrap.

I'm not a big eater, so not having to put the remaining food in some sort of plastic container that has a lid, sure would make things more convenient.

I love it when they make the half cans of food that are less than 10.5 ounces!

I also wish that, around here, they would sell half or even one-third loves of bread!

Thanks!

[XxUntouchablexX]

Yeah I've heard the same thing about keeping opened food in the can, but the only difference when it's sealed and when you open it is the air. Supposedly it's supposed to oxidize, but most cans are either lined with a very thin plastic coating (like saran-wrap almost) or animal fat. Anyway if you're not going to go like a week without eating them you should be in the clear.

[Just Dahlia]

I leave things like tomato paste opened in the fridge for a couple days, than transfer it to something else. I was always more worried about the 'tin taste'. I have never heard that it was bad and have never had a problem even if I forgot to transfer it, but I also am cooking it afterward.:)

[Clough]

My issue tonight, is mushroom soup. I only consumed half the contents of what was in the can.

Should be no problem to store it in the refrigerator for a couple of days, correct?

I do plan to wrap it in something.

Thanks!

[XxUntouchablexX]

You won't die.

The same people who say metal is unsafe for storage claim that plastic is unsafe as well, but plastic is actually man-made with chemicals and such. So storing it in the can is probably better than the plastic storage containers most people use religiously.

[hheath541]

My mother ALWAYS stored food in their cans if she didn't use all of it. I do the same thing. I'm not dead, and have no known serious health problems, so it seems perfectly safe to me.

[Wondergirl]

The only two reasons not to would be to avoid spillage (if you knock one over) and to avoid getting a tinny taste in some foods. If you eat the food within a few days, you should be okay.

Another thing to do would be to (carefully) pour the leftovers into a zip-lok freezer bag after labeling it. You can wash and reuse them many times, even relabeling each time. I do that with stew or leftover veggies.

[Clough]

The half-can of mushroom soup is now in a baggie in the refrigerator.

Thanks!

[Wondergirl]

The half-can of mushroom soup is now in a baggie in the refrigerator.

Thanks!

I hope you secured it. Now, don't forget about it. Is it labeled and dated?